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New York Now
FEATURES
11 Renting Designer Handbags
13 When Your Office is the Coffee Shop
15 New York’s Greatest Pillow Fight
17 Mannequins Lose their Heads
TRAVEL
18 Over the Edge of the Grand Canyon
20 London’s Fantastic Markets
22 Milan’s Apertivo Hour
24 Seeking ‘Sabor’ in Mexico
26 Hidden Jamaica
28 Drinking Tea with the Natives
29 Burning in Chengdu
DINING
36 Finding A Little Japan in New York
38 Sensational Sake
39 Za’atar: A Middle Eastern Spice With a Political Bite
41 Eating Local in the Colder Months
WEDDINGS
43 Rings with Bling
45 Wedding Rings that Tell a Story
BUSINESS
46 Downturned: A Salesman Wrestles with Unemployment
48 The Generational Clash Over Corporate Dress
49 Hard Times for Master Goldsmiths
50 Too Many Shoes, Not Enough Space
HEALTH
51 Dancing Bollywood-Style for Fitness
53 Philosophy Not Freud
54 Seniors Hit their Stride with Ultramarathons
55 Deadly Bottles in the Medicine Cabinet
FAMILY
56 The Big Business in Baby Beauty
58 Green Preschools on the Rise
59 Raising Foodie Kids
60 The Mom Who Knew Too Much
REAL ESTATE
61 Bleecker Street’s Amazing Rise
Editor and Publisher Sascha Brodsky Contributing Editors April Brucker, New York Now is published 12 times annually by New York Now Magazine, LLC,
Kevin Finn, Jane Huff, 188 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013, (646) 807-8153. Copyright
Chief Financial Officer Leonard Manson, Ben Postman, New York Now Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material in
Luke Sadowski Mara Siegler, Luis Vazquez this issue is expressly forbidden without permission of the publisher. Unsolicited
manuscripts and photographs are welcome on an exclusive basis but must be ac-
Associate Editors Fiona Sack, Photo Editor Amanda Wilson companied by a self addressed stamped envelope. New York Now Magazine LLC
Ted Van Zandt Art Director Alexey Katalkin is not responsible for unsolicited materials. Printed in the U.S.A.
New York may be the City That Never Sleeps, but no one said
it couldn’t use a cat nap.
Over-worked and under-rested, Americans are sleeping less
— almost a quarter of people are getting six hours or fewer per
night — than ever before. And some New Yorkers are counting
sheep and grabbing their zzz’s whenever they can. But this is not
George Costanza crawling under his desk at Yankee Stadium, al-
though some workers (this one included) surely have pulled that
move as well.
For the past few years, “powernapping” has been gaining pop-
ularity as a spa service — a reprieve from the restless streets, a
place where one can actually pay for something that’s inherently
free and accessible to everyone. Shuteye is among the scarcest
and most valuable commodities in our sleep-deprived nation. Now,
sleep can be bought for less than a dollar a minute.
Juggling a full-time job and attending school several times a
week, my days, like those of thousands of other New Yorkers, begin
at 6 a.m. and end around 11 p.m. I eagerly sought out a sleeping
spa to determine if it could help with my own sleepiness.
For $15, I bought 20 minutes of naptime at Yelo, a small spa
and “wellness sanctuary” located near Central Park. The space
looks much like a tanning salon, with individual pods called
YeloCabs, honeycomb-shaped, sound-resistant rooms with soft
lighting and pale yellow walls.
Still skeptical of the pay-for-powernap theory, I climbed up
and onto a custom piece of furniture called the YeloChair, locat-
ed in the middle of the room. It’s something that looks straight
out of the dentist’s office, but thankfully this chair elicits comfort
instead of dread.
I was surprised to feel drowsy the minute I lay down. Certainly
the heavily lavender-scented room, which is claimed to be a sleep
aid, and the soft patter of raindrops playing over the sound system,
helped put me in the snoozing mood. (Among the other sound op-
tions available were animal noises and tribal chants, neither of
which are exactly relaxing or common sounds for city dwellers.) The YeloChair helps tired New Yorkers catch
I took off my shoes, adjusted my pillow, cuddled underneath a some mid-day rest. The zero-gravity chair
cashmere blanket and reclined the YeloChair so that I was paral- reclines 90 degrees, the room goes dark and
lel with the ceiling, my feet elevated even higher above my head. then it’s lights out for a quick siesta.
Jeff, a college student living in Manhattan, is in a predicament “Delivery services are a stoner’s dream,” he said. “You don’t have
faced by thousands every night. His favorite TV show just started to hunt down an unreliable dealer. You just pick up the phone,
and the couch might as well be quicksand. All would be right and an hour later you’re getting stoned.”
in the world if one thing magically appeared. For some, Jeff places a phone order with an operator at “Sunsets”
that’s a Ray’s Pizza, for others, a Sam Adams. For Jeff, it’s —who, for all he knows, is in Amsterdam. An hour later,
a nice, fat joint. And in New York City, the mecca of de- a clean-cut, twenty-something deliveryman shows up
livery services, illicit drugs are just a phone call away. at his front door and unzips a backpack. A buffet of
Over the past decade, scoring weed in New York has weed billows out before Jeff’s eyes. The marijuana is
become a lot like ordering pizza – if one has the right separated into containers labeled with brand name,
connection. Since the delivery services are of course price and type of high.
illegal, buyers must be referred by other customers. “The delivery guys can normally refer me to a partic-
Jeff, who spoke on the condition that only his first name ular strand of weed for the kind of high I’m looking for. If
be used, said being invited into a network was like hit- I’m looking for “perma-grin” [supposed to lead to non-stop
ting the pot jackpot: zero paranoia, myriad flavors and 24/7 giggling] I’ll take Blueberry Cush. If I want a mellow stoned
availability. with slight hallucinations, I’d take Bubblegum.”
Elizabeth Taylor hasn’t been this popular since be the only name the site’s co-founders got right
“Cleopatra.” The Rev. Billy Graham, who was recently during its initial foray into celebrity death pools in
ranked the most influential preacher in the world, has 1990. Stiffs.com’s first game took place on paper in
another No. 1 ranking – one that he’d rather not have. 1993, and it went online in 1996. This year, its pool
And Fidel Castro, after many near misses in the past, has more than 1,100 entries, a shade off the all-time
might finally accomplish this year what many have high in 2005. The entry fee is $15, and the top prize
long hoped for him. is $3,000.
Strange as it sounds, people are rooting for them to Players list 10 celebrities they think will die within
die this year. the calendar year, ranked by the likeliest to die. Points
Celebrity death are awarded based on the number of correct choices.
pools have be- (The rankings come into play only in case of ties.) It
come extremely even has a fame committee, made up of the commis-
popular in recent sioner’s friends, family members and acquaintances,
years, offering its to determine whether someone is famous enough to
players a macabre merit being included in the game.
hybrid of fanta- Another site, Ghoulpool.us, has more complicated
sy sports and ce- rules, taking into account the age of the deceased
lebrity watching. and cause of death. Drug overdoses, for instance, are
March Madness, worth 15 points; suicides are worth 20; and acciden-
meet Cadaver Cra- tal deaths, such as “drowning, choking, accidental gun-
ziness. shot, overprescription of prescription drugs given by a
Stiffs.com runs doctor (a.k.a. the Michael Jackson Rule),” are worth 25.
the 12-month Lee “I came up with different rules because I wanted there
Atwater Invita- to be more skill involved” so that players could be re-
tion Death Pool, warded for their hard work, said Rich, the 44-year-old
named after the salesman who runs Ghoulpool and asked not to have
late Republican his last name printed because of the nature of his
political operative work. “The people who do the research, those same
who happened to people place in the top five year after year.”
HOT STUFF
Rush Limbaugh has listed his pre-war Fifth Avenue penthouse for sale
at $13.95 million. The gaudy 20th-floor penthouse at 1049 Fifth Av-
enue, which Limbaugh purchased in 1994, features 10 rooms with
expansive Central Park and Reservoir views and four terraces, two of The Exchange Bar & Grill restaurant is a new restau-
which face the park. rant where the prices for food and drink can change at
any minute. The restaurant in Gramercy Park has a ticker
tape menu flashing prices in red lettering as demand
forces them to fluctuate. Prices will rise and fall in 25¢
increments.
By Catherine Jhee
T
wo men inspired by watching their wives, mothers and sisters class world of luxury, in which all of our favorite celebrities belong.
borrow handbags from one another decided to launch Bag Bor- Sometimes carrying a $2,000 bag makes us feel like a star, like we’re
row or Steal, based on the idea that women enjoy the chance to famous.”
try on a luxury item for fun. That same year, Kara Richter opened From If she or any other customer falls in love with a bag, the sites offer
Bags to Riches. Both companies have become known among the fashion- buyout programs that allow them to pay off the cost of the bag on a
conscious set as outlets for renting high-end designer bags. payment plan. Richter says that at From Bags to Riches, a fair amount of
So how does it work? A shopper browses a site’s collections and women do choose to keep their rentals. “They’ll rent for a few months to
selects the purse she’d like to check out. At Bag Borrow or Steal, visitors test the waters to find something they want,” she said. “But a lot are just
pay a monthly membership fee of between $5 and $9.95. “Borrowing” die-hards and trade constantly.”
a Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote that retails for about $665 costs an addi- But while many women agree that renting designer purses is a great
tional $38 a week or $113 a month. At From idea, there are some true handbag enthusiasts
Bags to Riches, the same bag is available for who are wary of rented bags. Robin Kassner,
$140 a month, including up to $100 worth of a beauty and fashion editor in New York City,
damage insurance and shipping. From Bags has a wardrobe of more than 200 handbags.
to Riches doesn’t charge a membership fee She giggled as she reached into the back of
but offers some perks to those who sign up her red Mercedes to show off some of her
for a frequent-renter plan. favorites, including a blue vintage Hermes
For women like Bonnie McClory, a reg- Kelly bag from her grandmother. “I’m crazy
istered nurse and small-business owner in about bags the way ‘Sex and the City’ ’s Carrie
California, sites like From Bags to Riches Bradshaw was crazy for shoes,” she said.
offer the perfect opportunity to indulge an “I wouldn’t be embarrassed to use those
obsession with designer handbags without sites if I did,” she said. “I’m just a germo-
the commitment of buying. “My closet’s phobe and hate the idea of not knowing who
already full of designer handbags, but this wore a bag before I did and how they treated
lets me try on some of the trendy bags that it.” But for Kassner, wearing her grandmoth-
I wouldn’t necessarily buy,” McClory said. er’s vintage bags is different. “She took such
“I’m much more likely to buy classics that immaculate care of them, they still look very
I love, like Coach. But I also love bags from new.”
Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and Burberry, Bag Borrow or Steal’s Hambrick said that
and sometimes I’ll rent a fun Juicy Couture all of the bags are carefully inspected both be-
bag for my youngest daughters, who are in fore and after each rental, assuring that each
college, so they can just try them out.” bag is delivered in the best shape possible.
For McClory, renting bags is a fun diver- “A little wear and tear is to be expected,” she
sion that lets her experiment with different said. “But our members take great care of
styles. “My daughters and I are very much their bags.”
bagaholics,” she said. “It’s the ultimate And the sites are careful to let their cus-
accessory--and it doesn’t matter whether tomers know that their secrets are safe with
you’re having a bad hair day or you gain any them. “I think the biggest thing with women
weight. You can look fabulous, and it shows who rent our bags is that they feel it’s their
that you have some style.” own secret treasure,” From Bags to Riches’ Richter said. “They don’t
Patricia Hambrick, chief marketing officer of Bag Borrow or Steal, says have to share--and they usually don’t--unless it’s a close friend.”
the site has 450,000 members, most of whom are affluent, professional “We have a fair amount of high-profile clients,” she continued. “And
women who are passionate about their handbags. But the appeal of because of the nature of their careers--they’re being watched all the
handbags reaches beyond their target demographic to women of all ages, time--they have to carry designer bags that look great. So they can rent
including students. without worrying about the financial dent of owning a fabulous ward-
Alyssa Christian, a 20-year-old junior at Denison University in Ohio, robe of bags.”
says that her interest in designer bags was piqued just this year--so But at Bag Borrow or Steal, Hambrick says, members often tell their
much so that she started Bagoholics Anonymous, a Facebook group that friends to join the site. “Women know that celebrities have been borrow-
has more than 200 members. “I just started seeing them everywhere: on ing from designers forever,” she said.
random people when I was out and about, in magazines, online,” she Another benefit to renting, Hambrick pointed out, is that during the
wrote in an e-mail. “They just grew on me, and before I knew it, I was busy holiday season, a woman can rent different bags to go with differ-
sucked into the luxe bag world.” ent outfits. A woman who wants a fabulous bag for a special occasion on
“Renting designer handbags is a pretty amazing thing,” Christian said. a Friday night can have a different bag the next week.
She joined Bag Borrow or Steal about six months ago. “Although it’s And even though she doesn’t rent handbags herself, Kassner under-
by no means cheap and cost me $34 to rent a Gucci tote for one week, stands the appeal. “When people see shows like ‘Sex and the City’ or
it was definitely worth it--you definitely feel popular and trendy when ‘Gossip Girl,’ they want to be able to carry great bags too,” she said. So
you’re carrying a bag that you wouldn’t normally be able to afford.” So without having to spend $2,500 for a Chanel bag, they can borrow one.
far, she’s tried on three bags--two by Coach and one by Gucci. “It’s a cheap way of getting a little piece of Hollywood.” NYN
“Borrowing” a Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote that retails for about $665
costs an additional $38 a week or $113 a month.
A
ntony Seeff, 25, sits with his MacBook and BlackBerry in a he’s usually forced to take his drink to go.
Starbucks on the Upper West Side. It’s a Friday morning, and Baristas say it’s not unusual to watch workers come in with laptops
the location’s already buzzing with workers tapping at keyboards in the morning, set up shop and spend entire days typing, taking phone
and scrawling on notepads as a line of customers snakes to the door. calls and holding meetings in their stores. By late afternoon, tables are
“Only in a recession are there this many people in a Starbucks at 11 littered with empty cups and discarded food wrappers as workers pack
o’clock,” Seeff says with a smile, taking a break from the new social up and move on.
media site he’s designing after losing his job at a hedge fund earlier this While numbers vary by location, most estimate an increase of 15 to 30
year. percent.
Despite Starbucks’ reputation for $4 Frappuccinos and overpriced Though working from home may be cheaper, psychologists say that for
pastries, employees and regulars there and at other Wi-Fi hot spots have laid-off workers confronting a massive lifestyle change, rebuilding a rou-
noticed something unexpected: Branches are actually busier since the tine and finding ways to be around others can be extremely beneficial.
recession began. And while the growing legions of laid-off workers like “Maintaining a sense of structure and routine is crucial,” says Ethan
Seeff who’ve turned to freelancing and entrepreneurship because of the Seidman, a licensed psychologist and clinical instructor at the Harvard
crash are not the only ones crowding tables and hogging chairs, cafes Medical School in Cambridge, Mass., who deals frequently with those
have become prime office space, providing normalcy and a sense of com- who’ve lost their jobs.
munity—all for the price of a coffee, or less. “It just got so claustrophobic,” says Seeff, describing the days he spent
Even before the economic downturn, the nation’s independent work- working from home before venturing down the block. “It’s depressing
force was growing, with more than 10 million independent contractors, spending the whole day in your apartment,” he says. “You need to see
consultants and freelancers in February 2005, according to Steve Hipple people and get out.”
of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But in recent months, their num- Veterans of the coffee-shop-office lifestyle tend to choose one or two
bers have soared, with Web sites such as oDesk, which matches employ- cafes based on proximity or furniture and return again and again, form-
ees with independent contractors, reporting an increase of 450 percent. ing bonds with those with whom they share their workplace. (Most also
“Coffee shops are literally packed,” says Paul Benedetto, 40, a Seattle- have a favorite table and can become highly protective of their chosen
based freelance accountant who left his corporate position for self- spot.)
employment last year. While he always brings his computer along on “The whole problem with the Internet is people’s lack of communities
caffeine trips just in case he finds an available seat, it’s so crowded that and interactions,” says Doug Lange, 51, who’s been running his online
business from the same coffee shop in New York City nearly every day for people who are concentrating on their own work, so it makes you go
the past year. “Starbucks has become a community.” back to yours,” she explains.
Before the days of Wi-Fi, he says, he would “sit inside like a veg- These social cues are one reason it’s so important to establish a clear
etable.” Now he lounges comfortably for four to six hours a day, in gray separation between home and work, says Illinois Institute of Technology
woolen socks and a white T-shirt, on a red velveteen sofa behind a table sociologist Christena Nippert-Eng, author of “Home and Work: Negotiat-
stocked with his laptop, newspaper, phones, headsets and notebooks. ing Boundaries Through Everyday Life.” The simple process of getting
While he and other regulars at cafes across the country don’t typically up, getting dressed and traveling to a social environment can serve as a
consider themselves close friends, they nod hello, stop to chat and are trigger, telling the brain that it’s time to produce.
ready to offer advice when asked. “It’s sort of channeling the sociability of the environment to help you
Some, including Lange, have also made business contacts from ran- transition into that work frame of mind and to be able to sustain that
dom encounters. through the day,” she explains.
“I feel as if this is my office,” explains Rick Eisenberg, a public rela- But just because these shops are buzzing doesn’t mean they’re profit-
tions specialist who has been ing from their popularity. At
working out of coffee shops for Starbucks, for instance, domestic
about 10 years and comes to the These cafe “workistas” also say that sales have slumped, down an
same Starbucks, another location additional 10 percent in its last
on the Upper West Side, “just being out and about helps them stay fiscal quarter, and the company
about every day.” says it will close more than 900
“Isolation is not good for any- focused on their projects when they stores.
one, not good for me,” he says. That’s in part because, even if
“I just like to know that when I have little other supervision. they’re there all day, workistas
walk out the door and come here, report purchasing only one or
maybe there will be some type of adventure.” two drinks per visit and often benefit from free or discounted refills, not
Just then, Eisenberg sees Randy Schein, an actor and business owner to mention Internet connections. Some customers have also developed
who works from the same branch two to three times a week. Eisenberg elaborate strategies for spending as little as they can at the counter.
waves at his “office partner,” who stops by for a brief chat. The two have
collaborated on projects in the past. One Starbucks barista, who would not give her name for fear of losing
Sociologists say this type of interaction is important. “People need her job, describes how some order single espresso shots and add lots
to feel that they’re part of larger communities,” says Penny Gurstein, a of milk, creating knockoff lattes for dollars less. Others buy only a tea
professor at the School of Community and Regional Planning at the Uni- bag—cheaper than a cup—or bring one and just ask for hot water. Some
versity of British Columbia who wrote a book about the then emerging spend the day consuming free samples of food and drinks. The chain has
world of “telework” in 2001. a “Just say yes” policy, the barista says.
These cafe “workistas” also say that being out and about helps them While some companies have imposed minimum ordering rules and
stay focused on their projects when they have little other supervision. even covered up power outlets to curb this sort of straggling, others,
Natasha Levitan, 32, a multimedia producer in San Jose, Calif., who including Starbucks, have thus far refused to do so. “It’s clear Starbucks’
usually alternates between cafes Bar Code and Crema, has been free- company has the attitude that it’s OK,” says Lange, who orders a single
lancing for about five years. She says that being surrounded by others tea or latte or doesn’t bother at all, bringing a cheaper cup of joe in from
provides the social pressure needed to keep her on task. the street. But he pays for Internet access every day.
“If you take your eye away from the computer, you can see other “The place is expensive,” he says. “I don’t feel bad.” NYN
Feathers fly at the annual pillow fight in New York, one of 120 cities that participated Photo by Marie Claire Andrea
B
y the thousands they streamed out of the subway entrances and experience in human whimsy that is taking off even at a time when it
through the streets of New York’s financial district until Wall seems there is little to be joyful about.
Street was so packed no one could move. A few police officers While events like these have been happening in a few cities for years
tried to shoo them away but were overwhelmed by the size of the crowd. Bracken says the “total saturation” of social media outlets has driven up
At exactly 3 p.m., the signal was given, and the battle commenced. attendance at events around the world.
For more than half an hour a furious fight raged on. It was every man, Bracken is a 22-year-old DJ and party promoter in Brooklyn who
woman and child for themselves as people screamed and attacked each co-founded Newmindspace (http://newmindspace.com/), a group that
other. No one was hurt, however, and when the dust–or more precisely, organizes everything from giant Easter egg hunts through Toronto’s
the feathers–settled, the combatants were smiling. Kensington Market to the recent pillow fight on Wall Street. He coined
On Saturday, April 4, also known as International Pillow Fight Day, the term Urban Playground Movement to describe the playful, artistic
this was the scene that played out in 120 cities on five continents from and participatory spectacles that seek to reclaim public space from corpo-
Raleigh, N.C., to Reykjavik, Iceland. rate control in favor of free expression.
Kevin Bracken, who coordinated the global event, says the number of Until a few years ago, such gatherings were relatively isolated affairs
cities participating more than tripled from last year, the first time Inter- limited to in-the-know teenagers and 20-somethings in a few cities, but
national Pillow Fight Day was held. sites like YouTube changed all that. The ability to record these events and
With all the current anger aimed at the financial sector, the event on post them online is key. “If you didn’t document it, it didn’t really hap-
Wall Street was also a playful protest for some. Anjoli Anand, a student pen,” says Rick Abruzzo, a 33-year-old ad company employee who orga-
who traveled from Philadelphia, joked that she’d devised a scoring sys- nizes many of these events in his native San Francisco.
tem, “One point for a banker, five for a CEO.” Bracken says he received more and more e-mails from people in other
The spike in the number and size of these events highlights the rap- cities who wanted to do their own events, so he posted a free how-to-
id growth of what’s been dubbed the Urban Playground Movement, an guide, “Metromorphosis: The art of city transformation,” on the New-
mindspace Web site to help them get started. formation sharing that has spread these events around the world has its
In addition, organizers in dozens of cities are connected by an e-mail drawbacks. “I really liked the difficulty,” Cummins says of the pre You-
list through which they share ideas, post photos of past events and plan Tube and Facebook days. “It’s far too easy now.” And greater cultural
future public escapades. Not only has the number of groups proliferated, currency has meant creeping commercialization.
but so has the number of people participating in these events. The Banditos say they have been approached by and resisted major
When a Boston group called Banditos Misteriosos staged its first corporations who want to sponsor their events. But rejecting corporate
event, a pillow fight at the end of 2007, 150 show up. At the April 4 pil- interest is not a simple matter. “We’ve just been bastardized by T-Mo-
low fight, organizers counted 1,500 participants. As the movement bile,” says Cummins. This year the company produced an ad centered on
spreads, different cities are putting their own stamp on things. mobile clubbing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ3d3KigPQM&f
Last August, Banditos staged their first revolutionary-style water gun eature=related) in the very place, London’s Liverpool street metro sta-
battle. On the eve of the event, participants were divided into redcoats and tion, where Cummins first unleashed his idea on unsuspecting commut-
revolutionaries and told to meet at two separate locations. At each site, ers in 2003.
an actor was brought in to play a general—the American recited Patrick Beyond the commercialization, Cummins is worried that the ads will
Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech. The two armies faced undercut the power of actual mobile clubbing events themselves. People
off on a huge field and marched toward each other to the sound of fife and will think the real thing is not as cool as the advertisement—the ulti-
drums. After 45 minutes a “robot army” appeared and everyone started mate defeat for a movement founded on the concept of reclaiming public
blowing bubbles, after which the water gun battle picked up again. space for creative expression in the face of growing corporate dominance.
The Banditos have used every tool imaginable to spread word of their Cummins says he’s thinking about scaling back and finding new ways to
events. “We try to hit up everything,” says one co-founder of the group, a do his work.
school counselor from Boston in his mid 20s. In keeping with the group’s But some cast doubt on the political claims made by the urban play-
moniker, its members don’t give out their real names publicly. The co- ground movement. Andrew Potter, co-author of “The Rebel Sell: Why the
founder says the movement has exploded “because no one really owns culture Can’t Be Jammed,” says while these events are fun, they don’t do
the major event mechanisms anymore” unlike the days when print me- anything to undermine corporate control of civic space.
dia was the normal conduit of information. “Forty years of this kind of playful nonconformity” he says, harkening
In addition to a Web site (http://www.misteriosos.org/), the Banditos back to the Yipee movement of the 1960s, have only strengthened con-
have a Facebook page and a Twitter feed. They use other networking sites sumer capitalism, which thrives on new styles and rebellious non-con-
like tribe.net and yelp.com. formity.
In Britain, Ben Cummins—who invented the hugely popular con- But Bracken believes strongly in the potential of the growing move-
cept of mobile clubbing in which people show up in a public place like a ment which he says is both “free and freeing.” As he sat drinking a chai
train station with mp3 players and have a dance party —is working on a latte in a Williamsburg cafe the week after International Pillow Fight
feature on his Web site (http://www.mobile-clubbing.com/Seedsprouts/ Day, Bracken was dreaming big. He hopes to take pillow fighting to the
MobileClubbing/Display/Home.aspx) that will allow people around the ends of the earth. “Next year we want to get one at like Fort McMurdo in
world to plan and announce their own mobile clubbing events. Antarctica,” he said, “and we want to get one in the International Space
But many, including Cummins himself, are worried that the ease of in- Station.” NYN
H
anging arms and legs. Detached heads. Pumpkin heads. The Lululemon Athletica’s designers want their inanimate models to be dis-
storefront last Halloween at the Ralph Lauren men’s store in creet and abbreviated, says Cindy Lecomte, the brand’s strategic merchan-
New York City’s West Village looked like a scene from “The Leg- dising manager in Vancouver, British Columbia. With less emphasis on the
end of Sleepy Hollow.” But while the spirit of the attraction screamed, mannequin, they believe that their creations get more attention. Body parts
“Boo!,” its theme of dismemberment alluded to the latest trend in visual are strategically positioned so torsos showcase the nylon tops and sports
merchandising. bras, while legs don the yoga pants and running shorts. Lecomte says the
Once so lifelike that you might mistakenly ask one for directions, many hope is that the athletic garments the company sells will be more appealing
mannequins today are piecemeal: a pair of tai- to customers if they can easily spin, turn, touch
lored trousers on a lonely set of legs, a lacy bra and feel the product on a smaller model.
strapped to a severed torso. The model in the Clinton Kelly, fashion expert and co-host of
window hasn’t always been so disjointed. Elon- the Learning Channel’s “What Not To Wear,”
gated, abstract mannequins of the 1920s were agrees. He says you have to downplay manne-
a reflection of the art deco movement. Short- quins to show off the product, and “the only
er mannequins after World War II reflected the way to do that is to chop off all their heads!”
scarcity of the time. Money saving and universal appeal also
Now, in the midst of new economic woes, explain why retailers prefer headless mod-
the contemporary look is more akin to evidence els. Mannequins with heads age faster from
at a murder scene, with multiple body parts po- wear and tear; a noticeable chip of paint on
sitioned in different places and heads nowhere the cheekbone can be a ticket to the dump-
in sight. ster. With no head, there is no need to touch up
Judi Townsend, owner of Mannequin Mad- their makeup or restyle their hair.
ness in San Francisco, a national supplier of Another incentive for going headless is to
these fiberglass doppelgängers has noticed a appeal to as many potential customers as pos-
significant increase in the sales of headless sible. A headless model cannot be accused of
mannequins over the past 10 years. Not only is looking typical — Caucasian, blond and blue-
it cheaper to buy one leg versus an entire body, eyed. “If someone doesn’t have the money
stores also find the headless breed accentu- to get more diverse mannequins,” says Judi
ates the clothes, requires less maintenance and Townsend, “then they can get more bang for
helps customers think, “I would look great in A mannequin chopped at the neck falls to its knees. their buck with the headless mannequins.”
that outfit,” rather than, “I don’t look like that Photo courtesy of Adel Rootstein But some retailers are unwilling to cut cor-
mannequin.” But some retailers are rebelling ners — or limbs — preferring instead to pay
against the trend, trying to make the full-body mannequin chic again. top dollar for the full body. “Fashion today isn’t the clothes, it’s the
It’s ironic that most mannequins mimic females, when the Dutch root whole look,” says Kevin Arpino, creative director for Adel Rootstein in
word, “manneken,” literally means “little man.” Since the 19th century, London, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of mannequins.
when department stores became popular, these “little men” have been For Arpino, who has been at Rootstein for 27 years, designing man-
decorating display windows and intriguing customers with their wares. nequins is an art form, from head to toe. He has to anticipate fashion
Even in the late 16th century, Henry IV sent miniature mannequins to trends 18 months in advance to prepare his models for the latest styles.
Marie de Medici to keep her aware of the latest French fashions. But the Arpino’s customers like Saks Fifth Avenue and Zara have a unique look,
true origins of the mannequin have been traced back to King Tut’s tomb, which he completes with a head.
where a wooden torso was found. “A headless mannequin to me makes no sense,” he says. He doesn’t
Today, customers are lured to a whimsical window scene inspired by understand why some designers will spend millions of dollars on high-
“Alice in Wonderland” at the fashion boutique Mariel, in downtown Den- paid, skinny models for their magazine advertisements and then use a
ver. Two-foot feathers shaped like butterflies and blue hydrangeas accom- cheap headless mannequin for their display.
panied with white, purple and pink flowers create a miniature garden in Bargain retailer Old Navy apparently got the message. Its “SuperMod-
Mariel’s front window. As a tribute to Alice, a blue Sue Wong gown shines elquins” advertising campaign features full-figure mannequins that not
on a mannequin without a head or arms. Denise Snyder, who owns the only model clothes but also talk.
24-year-old boutique that she named after her daughter, offers a practical Launched last year, the television ads show off the SuperModelquins
reason that the shop’s 30 displays work best without heads. in all shapes, sizes and colors. Whether they represent children or a par-
“We have people trying on our stuff all day, and the mannequins I ticular ethnicity, the SuperModelquins may mark the return of more re-
have are really easy to get off in two seconds versus the ones with heads, alistic mannequins. They act like real people but speak without moving
arms and torsos,” she explains. their mouths, typically to joke about their plastic bodies. In one ad, the
At the fitness clothier Lululemon Athletica, near New York City’s Lin- arm of the athletic mannequin, Rec Tech guy, is lying on the ground. One
coln Center, another alluring window looks like the scene from the “The of the other mannequins yells, “We need a cleanup in menswear!”
Wizard of Oz,” in which the Wicked Witch’s legs stick out from under Dor- At least he hasn’t been guillotined by the fashion police. NYN
“W
e are now ready to start our way down to the great some disturbing news: 109 degrees F.
unknown,” the explorer John Wesley Powell wrote in We ate our melted cheese sandwiches.
1869, as he stood by the banks of the Colorado River “Hey why don’t we try that tuna fish stuff that we found as we were
at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. “We have an unknown distance yet hiking down earlier?” someone suggested.
to run; an unknown river yet to explore.” This statement for some reason did not sound so ridiculous at the
One hundred and thirty six years later, I stood on the only rock around time. Jon and I briskly devoured a package of Starkist Lemon Pepper
where my phone would get reception, and told my father back in Brook- Tuna Fish that some wiser soul had discarded on a rock. Carlo shrewdly
lyn: “Dad, we’re going to try to hike to the bottom tomorrow.” refused to touch it.
“Just don’t get yourself killed,” he replied. “Don’t be stupid.” I wanted to hike back up via the closer south rim. But my friends in-
Powell, a one-armed sisted that we return to
Civil War veteran, was the the further-away north
first American to explore rim, where car and tent
the Canyon. His crew prob- awaited. Outvoted, I wor-
ably faced more dangers riedly but ungrudgingly
than any group of adven- lifted my backpack, gazing
turous young bucks look- up at a scorching 12:45
ing for a cool hike. p.m. sun, and out to the
But even though the seemingly endless trail
Grand Canyon is Ameri- heading straight into it.
ca’s most-visited tourist My morale dropped as
attraction, too few people we trudged along the nar-
know, or possibly really row path. An hour later, I
understand, what awaits regurgitated all the lemon
them down there. Dr. pepper tuna fish. I was
Thomas Myers, a physi- overcome by dizziness,
cian and Grand Canyon and Jon had basically lost
buff, can tell them: it’s his speech. Dehydration
heat, heat so intense it can plus food poisoning - with
kill, through heat strokes a straight-up eight-mile
and dehydration. climb in front of us.
“The biggest risk comes Out water was undrink-
when folks overestimate ably hot. My mouth felt
their ability, and underestimate the canyon,” says Myers, who lives in like it was stuffed with dirt. My head was like a half-deflated hydrogen
nearby Flagstaff, AZ. “It gets pretty toasty down there.” balloon.
Myers’ book, “Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon,” tells sto- Why hadn’t we listened to my Dad?
ries of tragic deaths and ironic predicaments. He was inspired to write it I was never happier to see any sight than the “Roaring Springs: 1.8
after a 10-year-old boy collapsed into a creek, and died of heat stroke. He miles” sign. We had heard of this mythical location of waterfalls and
wanted to help other hikers avoid such a gruesome fate. shade. Collapsing, hallucinating, we staggered there. We drank, ate and
“No child should die that way,” Myers said. “That was a decent family, slept on the cool rocks for hours.
just ignorant of heat.” Yet our adventure, one of the most beautiful and traumatizing expe-
The trouble is, hikers can quickly and confidently trek down early in riences of my life, wasn’t over. With the sun setting, we hunted for and
the morning. The far tougher climb back comes in the hottest part of the found a campground called Cottonwood. In the dark we ate cold soup,
day - and this “reverse mountaineering” is dangerous. Twenty-two peo- cursorily checked the ground for unfriendly venomous entities, threw
ple have died in the canyon in the canyon in the last five years, Myers our sleeping bags in the dirt and reclined under the stars. I assure you
told me later. the setting was not as romantic as it sounds.
But we didn’t know anything about that then. Later I asked Dr. Myers: should people be stopped from hiking the
Canyon at all?
Into the Canyon “I wouldn’t support that,” he said. “This is America, a free country.”
Anticipating dawn by an hour, my companions Jonathan Fromm and So I say, do hike to the bottom, and enjoy the Colorado River rapids,
Carlo Canetta and I wolfed down a cold oatmeal breakfast and set off the vast canyon walls and the layering of ancient rocks. But before you
for what was, for us, definitely a “great unknown.” We intended to hike set foot on the trail, check out the books, and take seriously the warnings
down and back in a day. That’s eight miles down, a drop of 6,000 feet. about water, emergency supplies and hiking farther than your body tells
The scenery was fantastic, featuring the winding river making its way you you can. And don’t get any bright ideas about picking up mysteri-
through the immense and multi-colored canyon walls. And we made in- ous food. Or you could end up like us — nearly candidates for Dr. Myers’
credible time. But a thermometer hanging silently in the shade presented next edition. NYN
A Tale of Two
Markets
Fashionistas, designers and celebs are flocking to London’s
once-humble outdoor markets
By Michelle Del Rio and Diana Rosenthal
By Michelle Del Rio non Antique Market, one of the oldest arcades, offers rare and authentic
collections from Amour to Art Deco (The professional dealers begin the
F
lea markets, whether in humble parking lots or exotic bazaars, Saturday Antique Market at 5:30 a.m., so the best selection is available
draw shoppers practiced in rummaging through junk in search before noon.) Credit cards are accepted some stalls, but others only take
of jewels. Every Saturday, London’s Portobello Road flea market cash.
draws thousands of treasure hunters to its mile-long strip. With more Even for the non-collector, this area worth a stroll. The antique shops
than 2,000 arcades, the Road is a maze of chaotic stalls. It’s easy to get give way to stalls selling less pricey bric-a-brac, paintings, stamps, and
lost in the pushy crowds - but well worth the visit. coins. Visitors can come away with inexpensive -- and unusual -- souve-
The market began in the 1880s, selling everyday necessities and inex- nirs, such as ivory-handled magnifying glasses or silver-plated frames.
pensive products. Antique stalls were introduced in 1930. Today, Porto- By 10:00 a.m. the market is bustling with locals, who shop for fresh
bello is hip, drawing fashionistas, chic businesspeople, and families. produce and baked goods near Lonsdale Road. Meat, fruit, and vegeta-
The top of Portobello Road is home to celebrities, like Stella McCart- bles stalls fill the middle of the market, and the aroma of sizzling falafels
ney and Elizabeth Murdoch, and to some of the best antique stalls, too. and sausage tantalizes. Elderly men and woman steadily drag their carts
Polished 1920’s typewriters, bright blue Victorian china, vintage cam- along the same street where they’ve done their daily shopping for de-
eras and equestrian items whisper sweet nothings to collectors’ credit cades. A boisterous fruit seller yells: “Best bah-nan-as and cherries at the
cards. Furnishings and tableware are crammed next to boxes of spoons, best price!” Behind the blurs of red and orange fruit stalls, outdoor caf’e
dented keys, and once-cherished family photographs. The Admiral Ver- tables fill with patrons breakfasting on coffee and eggs.
A few blocks away near the Ladbroke Grove tube stop is a vintage Just as colorful and diverse is the display of food from all nations.
clothing mecca. This popular flea market, in a cluster of tents beneath These stalls sell food from everywhere -- Italy or Vietnam, India or In-
an elevated roadway, also sells designer castoffs and jewelry. You could donesia -- at less than $7.50 a dish. On Camden High Street we found a
see Kate Moss; you’ll definitely see the fashionista crowd. Victorian small stand called The Chocolatie Zone, a place to stop for chocolate-cov-
brown boots hang next to blue floral Indian dresses and sheer blouses ered strawberries and strawberry shakes.
imported from Japan. Rare pieces from Biba, Zandra Rhodes, and Vivi- Weekends are predictably busiest; Striker recommends visiting on less-
enne Westwood hide in these collections. This is serious hunting terri- crowded weekdays, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. , when Londoners typi-
tory, and shoppers should bring cash and a large shopping bag, and come cally shop. Most of the stores in the Market and Camden Lock are open
early Friday morning, for the best selection before the frenzied weekend during the week, but the Electric Ballroom is closed.
crowds arrive. Pointing to the stall selling Dr. Martens shoes for $28 a pair, Striker
described this as “the best bargain around.” As music and merchandise
Funky Finds in Camden Markets swirled, he added “[It’s] like a carnival all the time.” NYN
By Diana Rosenthal
O
utside the tube stop, two young blonde women wearing back-
packs and sunglasses pause, refer to a map, and walk toward
the crowds gathering outside the shops. They are American
20-year-olds in search of sparkling jewelry, black platform boots, flow-
ered dresses from the 60s and dusty, rare records -- all available at Cam-
den Markets, increasingly a magnet for hipsters.
“We were here last night looking for music, but today we’re just look-
ing for something funky,” said Amanda, a student at Iowa State Univer-
sity.
The Markets, located off Camden High Street between the Chalk Farm
and Camden Town tube stops, are London’s capital of “funky.” With
its vintage clothing, used records, international food, and “alternative”
clothes -- including Goth, fetish, and raver -- and eccentric salespeople
to match, teens, bargain-hunters and fashion fiends find the place espe-
cially appealing.
“There’s just a completely different atmosphere,” said Striker, an at-
tendant at a T-shirt stand that sold cotton shirts of all colors, adorned
with catchy sayings, rock star silhouettes and portraits of George W.
Bush. “The teens love this scene, especially the different types of music
blaring from the different shops.”
The sounds provide a guide of sorts to the merchandise found in more
than 350 shops. Clothing, music and souvenir stores are located on Cam-
den High Street, while the most eccentric of the shops are inside nearby
Camden Lock. Soft oldies mixed with unrecognizable and beat-driven
instrumentals leak out of Rockit True Vintage. Manned by tiny girls in
layered dresses, colorful dreadlocks, and at least three beaded necklaces
each, this shop offers vintage clothing for both men and women. Wom-
en’s blazers are priced from £13 to £20 ($24 to $37) and dresses from the
dollar equivalent of $28 to $65. Rockit also stocks an unusual selection of
vintage armed forces jackets, all under $55, and impressive Luis Vuitton
and Fendi knock-off purses, at $65 to $93.
Just across the street from Rockit is the Electric Ballroom, the most
popular weekend attraction. A converted Irish ballroom associated with a
club that showcased London’s Irish music scene, the indoor vintage mall Getting to London’s Markets
includes many rooms of second-hand clothing, sorted by style, as well as Portobello Road Camden Market Electric Ballroom
used records and CDs and new T-shirts. Closest tube stops: Not- Closest tube stops: Market
“You see designers here, sketching, getting ideas,” said Wendy, a long- ting Hill Gate or Lad- Camden Town and Open Sunday only.
time employee. “Designers will buy the older pieces and use them in broke Grove Chalk Farms The website has a map
their fashion shows.” Open M-Sa 8 a.m.-6:30 Many businesses open and guide to the main
A native of the area, Wendy said her own teenagers come to shop in p.m., except Th, 8 a.m.- 7 days, 10 a.m. to 6 regular stalls.
the Markets, drawn by the sheer magnitude and high quality of the mer- 1 p.m. Closed Sunday. p.m. http://www.electric-
chandise. The website has a http://www.camden- ballroom.co.uk/elec-
Next door is one of two locations of the Music and Video Exchange. comprehensive guide lock.net/ tricmarket2/
These are popular spots for local teens to hunt for the work of their fa- to shops.
vorite musicians. The Exchange boasts large selections of Beatles records http://www.portobel-
and 1960s music, including rare treasures like a recording of “Eric Clap- loroad.co.uk/
ton and The Yardbirds Live With Sonny Boy Williamson.”
M
ILAN, Italy — In a kingdom where fashion is king and wispy
models its princesses, the all-you-can-eat buffet is the last
kind of dining experience you’d expect to find. Yet the two co-
exist in blissful harmony, for Milan is the home of the aperitivo—a tradi-
tion that raises the buffet to a new level.
Aperitivo, rich uncle of happy hour, is the beloved Milanese tradition
of pre-dinner drinks accompanied by complimentary stuzzichini, or ap-
petizers. Derived from the Latin aperitivus, to open, aperitivo is meant to
stimulate the appetite and tease the taste buds, previewing the delights
of dinner. Spreads can range from modest olives, cheeses and potato
chips to awe-inspiring pastas, pizza, bruschetta, meats, sautéed vegeta-
bles and fruit salads. Drinks come with unlimited admission to the food
bar. The aperitivo starts at 6 or 7 p.m., and lasts until 9. As little as one
drink—alcoholic or not—can be your ticket to the best-kept secret in It-
aly.
Although you can easily make a free dinner of aperitivo, the real chal-
lenge is to learn to act like the Milanese, who delicately graze through
the line, giving the food the respect it deserves.
As an American student in Milan, amazed by the delicious food and
blindsided by the dismal exchange rate, I was not so sophisticated. My
fellow expats and I would dash to the buffet table as soon as the waitress
walked away with our drink order, and return with our hands guarding
our heaps of food, poised to catch the last piece of focaccia from falling.
The Milanese, in their crisp and stylish work attire, would watch us
with amusement as they nibbled the vegetables and cheeses.
“Y
ou like carnitas?” asked Mario-Alberto,
my taxi driver.
“Yes,” I lied.
“You like barbacoa?”
“Yes,” I lied again. I only had a vague notion of
what those dishes were (carne means meat, so carni-
tas must be meaty?)
While Mario-Alberto changed the topic to how to
pick up girls in English, I dwelt on my fabrications. I
was in Mexico City. Why hadn’t I tried barbacoa and
carnitas?
“Señor? Where do you like to eat carnitas and bar-
bacoa?”
“Very good restaurant, Arroyo. In colonia Tlalpan.
Is expensive, pero, is good.”
Mario-Alberto writes down the address while driv-
ing, making me wonder if I will even live to see Ar-
royo – or any other restaurant.
Guidebooks offer the same restaurant advice, each
stylish boite more cleverly designed than the next. If
you are lucky, you might pick something authentic off
the list. But even those restaurants are full of tourists
trying to discover the “real Mexico.” So I started ask-
ing Mexicans: where do they find true sabor?
brought their ill-gotten gains to trade. In one for the Catholics, Jamai- The splendid Georgian mansion sits atop a hillside eight miles east of
ca’s only earthquake sent the heathens to a watery grave in 1692, killing Montego Bay. It has beautiful original antiques, and its well-manicured
2,000 people and sinking all the ships in the harbor. lawns sweep down toward the sea. The house was occupied by French-
Plans are underway to develop the town for divers, and as a port of woman Annie Palmer, who was known as the White Witch of Rose Hall.
call for cruise ships, complete with actors in period costume. The town Palmer was supposedly a voodoo practitioner who murdered three of her
can be explored on foot; sites include the impressive Fort Charles, where husbands. She was strangled by one of her slaves, and local legend says
cannons point out to sea. There’s also a maritime museum, which houses that her ghost haunts the house. Herbert Lisser told her story in fiction-
artifacts dredged up from the sunken city, and a naval hospital from 1819 alized form in his 1958 book “The White Witch of Rose Hall.” Rose Hall
made of stone and cast iron. is located across the highway from the Wyndham Rose Hall resort.
The Ruins of New Seville
New Seville is one of Jamaica’s most significant historical sites. The Calabash Literary Festival
Founded in 1509, it was Jamaica’s first Spanish capital. Columbus’ son The only international literary festival in the English-speaking Carib-
Diego lived there. His great house, now a museum, contains Spanish bean, Calabash aims to nurture world-class writing. The three-day spring
carvings, ceremonial Taino bowls, African pots, agricultural tools and festival of readings, music and other forms of storytelling is an annual
other relics. literary extravaganza. Recent attendees include V.S. Naipaul, Diana Abu-
Jaber, Robert Antoni, Lauren Saunders and Francisco Goldman. Calabash
Walking the Maroon Trail is earthy, inspirational, daring and diverse. It’s held at Treasure Beach in
When the Spanish came under attack by the British in the early 17th St. Elizabeth Parish. All festival events are free and open to the public.
century, they freed their slaves and fled the island. The former slaves be-
came the legendary Maroons. You can visit their old haunts in the Blue Less Touristy Beaches
Mountains. This preserve is one of few wild areas in the West Indies, For some good beaches not overrun by tourists, head to Port Antonio,
with a terrain of caves and sinkholes carved by nature in limestone. Take and choose Frenchman’s Cove, San San beach or the Blue Lagoon. French-
a tour to Accompong, a Maroon village in the Cockpit Mountain. Descen- man’s, a spectacular little beach with an emerald and azure ocean, is sur-
dents of the first freedom fighters will guide you through a day in a Ma- rounded by rocky cliffs alongside a cool mountain stream. It’s ideal for
roon’s life, and feed you a buffet lunch. picnics. Nearby are San San, a narrow strip fronting a broad bay with de-
cent snorkeling, and the Blue Lagoon, where lush foliage surrounds the
Rose Hall Great House stunning aquamarine ocean. Haven’t you heard of this place? You have:
Rose Hall Great House is a famed 1780s Jamaican plantation house. It’s where Brooke Shields came to shoot the movie “Blue Lagoon.” NYN
If You Go
Port Royal information: 876-929-9200
New Seville: 876-972-9407
Maroon Trail: www.heritageja.com
Rose Hall Great House: Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., admission $15.
867-953-2341.
Calabash literary festival: www.calabashfestival.org
E
very London guidebook has a section devoted to afternoon tea. another pub. Its afternoon tea is a little-known fact. Only a few couples
The authors gush about the pastries at Harrods, the finely-cut were there the day we went, but after gazing up at the high frescoed ceil-
sandwiches at the Brown Hotel, and ing and tapestry-covered walls, we were sold.
the delicate scones served with clotted cream High tea is served for about £16 ($30) and
at Kensington Gardens. Is this what London- can be shared by two people. A typical tray
ers do in the afternoons? Sit, decked out in includes tea sandwiches with turkey and
Chanel, prim and proper, on satin cushioned pesto mayonnaise paired with garlic hum-
chairs, shelling out fifty bucks for a tier of pa- mus and roasted sweet peppers; warm rai-
tisseries? Unfortunately, the hotel scene is an sin scones with clotted cream and raspberry
overstuffed way of enjoying London’s oldest preserves; and small chocolate pastries sur-
ritual. In short, it’s a tourist trap. rounded by fresh fruit, dusted with powdered
The good news is that you can soak up the sugar. The tea comes in bags, but is none-
deliciousness of teatime sans confining attire theless delightful when poured from its own
and inflated prices. The English tea tradition pewter pot.
is carried on in quite a few restaurants and After tea, reading in the tiny courtyard
cafes. So, hang up those heels and take a look garden is a must, until the working locals are
at these alternatives: set free at five and take over the well-stocked
bar. The Bank provides delectable food and a
The Bramah Museum of cool, quiet haven to while away an afternoon.
Tea and Coffee
The Bramah Museum of Tea and Coffee, The Kandy Tea Room
located just south of London Bridge, looks Just west of Kensington Gardens, The
as if a home for grandmothers exploded, Kandy Tea Room offers a Sri Lankan twist on
and the remains were collected in this room. tea, specializing in Ceylon teas and delicious
With tea pots from every decade, pink and Tea for (at least) Two: Traditional tea includes a spread quiche. Cream tea is served with scones and
white lace linens, and cookbooks on display, of sandwiches, scones and cake. a personal pot of piping hot tea for £7 ($13)
it’s hard not to be reminded of old ladies Photo by Michelle del Rio a person. But we found the cakes in the win-
playing cards. dow too enticing to pass up. A pot of tea and
Full tea is a mere nine pounds (about $17) and includes a choice of a slice of cake is just £5. Teacups hang on shelves mounted on flowered
sandwiches (the cucumber and cream cheese are yummy), plain scones wallpaper, giving this intimate tea room a homey feel.
with clotted cream and berry preserves or fresh crumpets, and a large
piece of cake. The staff will recommend a tea to complement what you Patisserie Valerie
choose. It is second nature to coo at the bone china cup and saucer, and Patisserie Valerie is almost too cute, with vintage movie posters plas-
fondle the three-tiered platter that the sandwiches are arranged on, out tered on the walls and tiny white tables in clusters around the main
of sheer love and appreciation. floor. With six locations around greater London, customers become loyal,
The enthusiastic silver-haired pianist, Roger, greets arrivals by thrust- and gladly shell out £15 ($28) for tea and pastries. You’ll nonetheless see
ing his laminated café music request menu, with songs by Gershwin and starving artists and hungry students. The adorable Victorian teapots are
Aretha Franklin and everyone in between, politely demanding a selec- well worth the £4. NYN
tion. He’s then move from table to table, blabbing with guests until it be-
comes apparent that the room needs music to soothe it.
Where Real Londoners Take Tea
Roger has worked at the museum for over a year, and enjoys the vari- Bramah Museum of Tea and Coffee Old Bank of England
ety of customers. 40 Southwark Street, London, 194 Fleet Street, Holborn, London,
“We get some locals and a ton of tourists, what with The Globe and SE1 1UN, 44-20-7403-5650 EC4A 2LT, 44-20-6430-2255
The Tate just around the corner,” he explains, referring to the Shake- http://www.bramahmuseum.co.uk/
speare theater and the famous art museum. Patisserie Valerie
The café produces over 20 blends of tea and coffee, all available at the The Kandy Tea Room 44 Old Compton Street, Soho, London
gift shop, in addition to books, coffee tins, pots, and cups. The piano is 4 Holland Street, Kensington, London W1D 5JX, 44-20-7437-3466
soothing and creates an atmosphere suitable for reading and relaxing. W8 4LT, 44-20-7730-1234
The constant refilling of one’s teapot doesn’t hurt, either.
By Leaya Lee
T
o walk down any street in Chengdu, the capital of China’s south- Sichuan is famous for its giant pandas and for its spicy food. One of
west Sichuan province, is to feel it on every inch of skin. On sum- better-known dishes of the region is Sichuan hot-pot. To welcome the
mer days, the heat rises from the dirt-caked roads and sidewalks, summer English teachers, two of the program coordinators, both Cheng-
and the sun slicing through the smog is unforgivingly bright. A sweaty, du residents, generously treat us to dinner at a hot-pot restaurant. Each
sticky mass of bodies competes with endless lines of bicycle riders for table holds two inset bowls full of scalding, pepper-red soup brought to a
slivers of walking space. Ghostly, orphaned high-rises dot the city, cour- boil with the twist of a knob. The fiery broth is not replaced for each new
tesy of developers who constantly start new buildings, then run out of customer, but sits in the bowl all day to be repeatedly reheated.
money to finish them. Most of old, traditional structures have been torn Long tables heavy with raw tripe, tendons and unidentifiable meats
down to make way for these new buildings because like most of urban and vegetables flank the restaurant’s walls, waiting to be cooked in the
China, Chengdu is experiencing a boom. bowls at the table. At one end of a table, dozens of people line up to pile
I am teaching English at Sichuan University for the summer. It’s my their plates with little burgundy-colored hunks of meat. Moving closer,
first trip to China, and what I’m feeling is sensory overload. I see they are sauce-covered rabbit heads, with eyeballs and spiky teeth
Young Chengdu women step daintily over the ubiquitous spit scattered still intact. The program coordinators say that the rabbit heads are a deli-
across the ground as they clutch parasols to protect their milky complex- cacy, and they both dig in. None of us English teachers are adventurous
ions from tanning. In East Asia, whiteness is next to godliness, at least enough to try them. The hum of eating and conversation is periodically
for the ladies. Not one native eye widens as bare-bottomed children pee punctuated with the sound of people hocking spit onto the floor.
in the middle of the busiest downtown street. A tour guide on a later trip After about a week of ultra-spicy meals, blisters form inside and
explained that Chinese parents dress their children in these crotchless around my mouth, and my stomach is a mess. It hurts to smile, speak or
pants for easy relief. eat. I am taken to Sichuan University’s hospital. The place seems eerily
The lack of personal space is daunting at first, as is the dearth of West- empty, quiet and in desperate need of a good scrub. Drops of what look
ern-style toilets. In the English teachers’ dormitories where I stay, the like dried blood are speckled across the floor on the way to the doctor’s
toilets are squat-style holes in the ground, and the showers are directly office. The doctor is a plump, middle-aged woman. After a brief examina-
above the toilets. After losing few bars of soap down the toilet, I soon get tion, she says that because of the spicy food, my foreign constitution and
over my awkwardness, then am humbled by visits to some of my stu- the humid weather, my body has shang huo. Literally translated, that
dents’ homes. In one apartment, the toilet is in the kitchen, right next means “on fire.” She prescribes a few mysterious medications that work
the stove. immediately. NYN
Orthodox Jewish style Where the Hasidic passersby wear tall hats
and long jackets, Jordan, a devout Jew, sports
a beret and an untucked jersey. But what really
distinguishes Jordan from others in the Jewish
community is the fact that he is a black rapper
known to his fans as Y-Love. His first album is
called “This Is Babylon.”
Y-Love is part of a new school of hip-hop rev-
olutionaries who are trying to raise social con-
sciousness and spirituality through their music.
Even so, he may be the rap scene’s most uncon-
ventional act. Substituting profanity with reli-
gious rhymes in Yiddish, Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin
and Arabic, Y-Love takes hip-hop away from the
thug culture and into a spiritual realm. He de-
By Christian Taske scribes his style as “global hip-hop” that aims to
ARTS
untucked jersey.
promote unity and tear down social boundaries. But in the orthodox community, where new political and religious taboos by warning of the
“I’m using the holy languages to show that technologies and modern types of music are sus- dangerous direction towards which the world is
anybody who is on a spiritual level, wherever pect, not everybody agrees that hip-hop and Ju- heading. His song “6000” suggests that the world
they are in the world, chances are they’re going daism match so perfectly. Many argue that rap is at its worst, and it’s time to turn it around.
to be on relatively the same page,” Y-Love said. and Judaism don’t belong together because hip- In other tracks, Y-Love promotes peace and ac-
“Hip-hop is some type of music that brings peo- hop was created in America by non-Jews. ceptance by quoting from both Torah and the
ple together.” But for Y-Love, orthodoxy and progression Quran and inviting a Palestinian rapper to join
But Y-Love doesn’t just rap about breaking don’t contradict each other. “I started rhyming him in song.
social boundaries, he does it. As a black convert in yeshiva, so there was no disconnect,” said Y- Y-Love continues to send a message with his
to Judaism, the 29-year-old computer program- Love, who defines himself as an “ultra-modern, new album. Its title refers to the third chapter of
mer epitomizes the cross-cultural. His music re- ultra-orthodox Jew” who happens to be a rapper. the Book of Daniel where the king, Nebuchad-
flects his religious conversion, which started 22 “Orthodox Judaism puts so much stress and em- nezzar, sets up a statue in Babylon to which citi-
years ago. phasis on learning Torah and on learning how to zens must bow if they hear a musical instrument.
Growing up with his Ethiopian father and better oneself. So, it can’t be contradictory to Ju- Y-Love sees this as a metaphor for the growing
Puerto Rican mother in Baltimore, Md., Jordan daism, because I used it in such a way.” influence of the media, which he believes turns
occasionally attended Baptist church. At age 7, Y-Love occasionally sends lyrics to his rabbi for people away from God and toward earthly idols.
however, he developed an interest in Judaism spiritual authorization. This rabbi, said Y-Love, Babylon, as the first place of Jewish exile, became
after watching a “Happy Passover” television once explained that the musical genre is unim- the epitome of an unholy place, which is where
commercial. He doesn’t remember why the ad portant if the content adheres to Jewish beliefs. Y-Love sees society heading.
intrigued him, but soon after seeing it Jordan “As long as the content stays kosher, the mu- In this light, Y-Love’s ultimate goal is to ele-
began trading his lunch money for Hebrew les- sical form is kosher as long as it elicits kosher vate his listeners’ spirituality regardless of their
sons from a Jewish classmate. His curiosity grew emotions from the listener,” Y-Love said. He also religion. He sees his music as part of a larger ed-
into faith, and at age 14 he began attending syna- makes sure to observe the Sabbath and sched- ucational campaign. He hopes eventually to do
gogue at Johns Hopkins University. Much against ule his performances accordingly, which can be political radio commentary and teach.
his Roman Catholic mother’s will, at the same a hassle in the summer when the sun sets late. “The same people who buy hip-hop CDs are
time he approached the rabbi with plans to con- Staying within his religious framework, Y-Love the same people who feel most disenfranchised
vert. He was turned down because of his age. is not afraid to speak his mind both on and off- with the political process,” he said. “I’d like to be
“I knew I wanted to be Jewish ever since I was stage. He once tried to unplug another band’s somebody who can speak to a younger commu-
a little kid,” Y-Love said. “Through a lot of time, microphones because he objected to their vul- nity, speak to progressive thinking people who
I was just waiting to convert.” gar language. His profanity-free lyrics challenge want progressive music.”
While his family suggested he would never
be accepted in the Jewish community, Jordan
remained determined. His conversion finally be-
gan when he moved to New York City at age 21.
Thirteen months later, Jordan traveled to Jerusa-
lem to attend Ohr Somayach, a yeshiva catering
to converts and Jews with little religious back-
ground. His learning partner there, David Singer,
happened to be a Jewish emcee known as Cels-
I. The two discovered that rapping the Hebrew
words helped them memorize Jewish scripture.
Thus, Jordan’s approach to hip-hop was born.
“When we first started rhyming in yeshiva,
people were like, ‘Why would you bring such a
non-Jewish type of music into a holy place,’” Y-
Love said. “But I can still open up a Gemara to
the cases we learned in 2001 and remember what
was going on.” The Gemara is a part of the Tal-
mud, a book of rabbinic commentaries.
At the yeshiva, Jordan also met Erez Safar,
who later founded the Jewish music Web site Sh-
emspeed and the Modular Moods Records label.
Back in New York, Safar, also known as DJ Erez
Handler, became Y-Love’s manager. He produced
“This Is Babylon.”
“He’s a genius as an individual, an incredible in-
tellectual and a diverse person,” DJ Handler said.
“He’s just a great rapper. With that sort of brain
and voice, I thought he had the whole package.” Y-Love’s first album is called “This Is Babylon.”
Home is where
who attend generally hear about the event by
word of mouth.
The artists initially funded the Bronx Blue
the art is
Bedroom Project but now the project has a grant
from the Bronx Council on the Arts and other
arts programs in the city, to encourage home gal-
leries.
Faced with a space crunch, New York artists expand the definition This month, at the Bronx Blue Bedroom Proj-
ect, Michelle Frick has made bird’s nests out of
of galleries intravenous cord and placed tiny eggs that have
the names of different heart diseases imprinted
on them. There are syringes and other hospital
materials strewn about the room and the sound
By Laura Cameron of birds chirping is playing on a stereo.
Blanka Amezkua’s lifestyle changes accord-
ARTS
By Edmund DeMarche
By Jessica Scott
ARTS
requirements for Cuban cultural groups in 2009.
Here, they perform at the Hostos Center for Arts
and Culture in New York.
Cuban Musicians
ation of U.S. policies toward Cuba.
“We are neither actively promoting nor ac-
tively impeding these artistic exchanges,” a State
Resuming
Department official told The New York Times
last fall.
Cuba, with Iran, Sudan and Syria, is one of
U.S. Performances
four countries on the U.S. government’s “state
sponsors of terrorism” list for allegedly support-
ing rebels in Colombia and Spain, and for re-
fusing to extradite U.S. citizens wanted by U.S.
The Obama administration appears to be quietly relaxing a five- authorities.
The blacklist status makes applying for a cul-
year Bush-era ban on Cuban cultural exchanges tural exchange visa tedious, according to a report
music scholar Ned Sublette produced for the Cuba
Research and Analysis Group (CRAG), a group
By Roque Planas that supports U.S.-Cuba cultural exchanges.
Cuban musicians must first present an applica-
SHOPPING
New York)
dream come true. Manga, the animation books
or films made in Japan, crowd the shelves of this
slightly creepy store. If you can get up the gump-
tion to ask one of the goth-looking salespeople,
they’ll be happy to help you find a copy of manga
classics geared toward your demographic.
840 Broadway (corner of 13th Street)
By Sarah Wolff http://www.fpnyc.com/
DINING
la in this tiny place — a sensation many West- offerings! Decibel serves over 50 types of sake, sweet-smoky flavor of the grilled meats, and pro-
erners have in Japan because everything seems the fermented rice wine that’s Japan’s nation- vides the carbs to fill you up in this super-Atkins-
to be Lilliputian-sized. Shelves and cases hold al drink. Some sakes are heady and wine-like. friendly restaurant.
figurines, collectibles and of course, manga. Kid Some are sweet and mild. Some, like the fugu The best items are the chicken meatballs (balls
Robot figurines or plain old action figures are hire, are possibly lethal. Decibel serves a roasted again, yes, but they taste great). The grilled rice
all here. Just be careful not to knock anything blowfish fin, or fugu, in hot sake. Fugu is known triangles, called onigiri, made atop the grill after
over, Gulliver. for causing hallucinations from its poison, and the meats, have been cooked, so they absorb the
121 Second Avenue, 2nd floor (between St. Marks Place people who eat it usually get sick. However, it is flavor. The ramen is also good for sharing. It’s
and 7th Street) considered a delicacy in Japan — and where else served in a large bowl with extra crockery and
http://www.toytokyo.com/ are you going to find hallucinogenic fish sake in spoons — so your fellow diners can take as much
New York? as they want from the pot.
SNACKS 240 E. 9th Street, between Third and Second Avenues 5 St. Marks Place (between Third and Second Avenues)
Tel: 212-979-2733 http://www.yakitoritaisho.com/
Bamn!
Bamn! looks like a glowing pink neon UFO SUSHI-FREE RESTAURANTS Minca Ramen Factory
that landed on the street. It’s set up like an over- The noodle soups served at this ramen shop the
sized vending machine and serves small bites After the “how to order sushi like a CEO” skit size of your thumbnail (notice a trend here?) are
and flavored ices. Feed your money into the slot on Saturday Night Live back in 2006, raw fish lost not meant to be shared. No worries: you’ll want
next to the item you want, and order ices at the some of its cool. Now it’s associated with snob- to hog your own bowl of tastiness. The most pop-
counter. There’s a dearth of 7-11 stores in Man- bish yuppies, and tycoons who don’t care that ular, according to a server, is the “plain” ramen.
hattan, so Bamn! fills in nicely with classic fla- they’re overpaying for undercooked fish. But “plain” is actually a flavorful pork-based broth
vors like cherry and cola. But it also offers treats Here are two authentic cooked options, usu- and noodles, with pork and other toppings like
with a Japanese twist, like mini teriyaki burgers. ally packed with Japanese expats — definitely a seaweed, egg and various legumes. There is an ex-
It wouldn’t be hard to envision Bamn! on a Tokyo good sign. Plus, you won’t have to worry about cellent vegetarian option, made of miso broth and
side street, in all of its Bladerunner-esque glory. anyone mocking your entrée. topped with tofu and corn. It sounds odd, but with
37 St. Marks Place (corner of Second Avenue) a sprinkling of red pepper available on request, it’s
http://www.bamnfood.com/ Yakitori Taisho very filling and warming. Minca also offers at least
What a revelation: Japanese people will wait one “experimental” ramen each night.
Otafuku not only for octopus balls, but grilled meats on a There are a couple of side dishes too, like pan-
Who would have thought that a storefront stick too! Half the fun of Yakitori Taisho is wait- fried gyoza, or dumplings, which are fantastically
snack shop selling mainly octopus-filled fried ing outside for the staff to “creatively” pronounce fresh and crisp in all the right places. But the rad-
dough balls would be a success? A traditional whatever English name you’ve given the Maitre ish salad is just a ton of radishes julienned and
nibble in Japan, the main attraction here are D’ , and people-watching on St. Mark’s Place. piled into a bowl, suitable only for those who re-
these takoyaki. You can also get them plain, or Punks, businessmen, creative types and a ton of ally, really love radishes.
with cheese filling. The other few items on the homesick Japanese people mill around on the Be aware that watching the chefs will stop
look-and-point menu are okonomiyaki (a fried sidewalk. Taisho also has an outpost in Tokyo, all conversation between you and your dining
egg and cabbage pancake that plays host to sea- gratifyingly called “New York Taisho.” Are they companions (you’ll be transfixed and start ask-
food, meat or corn toppings) and yakisoba, sea- playing it both ways to accumulate street cred ing yourself what those brown things are). But
food fried noodles. The takoyaki are served in in both cities? No way to tell, but after a few it’s a distinct pleasure to see these noodle artists
packs of six, but there isn’t any place to eat them pitchers of Kirin with some tasty yakitori, you at work — don’t miss the experience.
inside. Hope for a sunny day or breezy evening won’t care. 536 E. 5th Street (between Avenues A & B)
and plop down on the bench provided outside. Once you’ve settled into the dungeon-like Tel: 212-505-8001
The line can get extremely long and the orders
take awhile, since everything is made to order.
For whatever reason — perhaps because every-
one is hungry? — the line proceeds silently. It
would be ill-advised to chat on your cell phone.
Stick to text messaging and hope your octopus
ball six-pack arrives quickly.
236 E. 9th Street (between Second and Third Avenues)
Tel: 212-353-8503
DRINKS
By Justine Sterling
The Spicy Politics of Za’atar has been celebrated in the poems of the
late Palestinian national poet Mahmoud Darwish
fun doing it
water from which it comes as well as the eco-
nomic and physical well-being of the farmers.
The “O” is for organic. Organic farmers do not
use pesticides, herbicides or weed-killers and
By Melissa Muller Daka organic meat means that animals are fed a veg-
etarian diet without hormones or unnecessary
antibiotics. However, not all farms that follow
organic farming practices are certified organic
tionship with food, as she outlines in her forth- asparagus in January if it comes from Peru, not BEVERAGES
coming book “The Natural Kitchen:Your Guide just because the voyage is not sustainable, but First off, drink local water — as in from your
to the Sustainable Food Revolution.” such distantly produced produce can lack flavor. tap — but filter it.
You also can start your own organic vegetable If you like sweet drinks, make your own with
POULTRY AND MEAT or herb garden, or pickle or preserving your fa- a juicer or citrus squeezer, and you can make
Ignore marketing slogans and vague super- vorite fruits and veggies. healthy drinks that will taste better than any-
market labels like “all natural” and “free-range.” thing you can buy. You will rarely need to add
Keep only these two words in mind: pasture- BEANS AND GRAINS sugar, unless you are making lemonades.
raised. Grains, like rice, flour and whole grains, can As for coffee and tea, there are numerous or-
That usually means the animals were 100 per- often take you off of the SOLE food path. When ganic options on the market. Brew them at home,
cent grass-fed, or had a grain diet, ideally organic you see them at a farmer’s market, grab them whenever possible. Like all beverages, carry them
and pesticide-free and one that avoids geneti- up. Otherwise, buy them from the supermarket with you in a reusable container. For that after-
cally modified seeds. Then, look for local animal or online, but make sure they are organic. Non- noon coffee break, have your container refilled
farms and visit them. Ask questions about their organic grains such as wheat and rice are often at your favorite coffee shop.
farming practices. Or buy pasture-raised meats
from select butchers in your neighborhood or
online at www.fossilfoods.com or at www.heri-
tagefoods.com.
To keep the cost down, I often buy inexpensive
cuts of meat, like neck and shoulder, which are
luscious when braised to perfection. Or just eat
a little less meat. Pasture-raised animals are not
only healthier, but according Jo Robinson, au-
thor of “Pasture Perfect,” “their meat is signifi-
cantly more nutritious for humans than feedlot
meat,” containing higher levels of vitamins and
antioxidants.
DAIRY
Cheese, milk eggs, and yogurt are not only
healthier, but tastier when they come from pas-
ture-raised animals. Search for local dairy farms;
many of them even deliver direct to your home.
SOLE food resources http://www.themeatrix.com/
SEAFOOD on the Internet: A educational website about food-related issues
Eating “good” seafood depends on what sea- United States seasonal growing chart: and works to build community through food:
food you choose, whether it is over-fished or http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/season- http://www.sustainabletable.org/home.php
going extinct or how it is caught or farmed. Cer- alcooking/farmtotable/seasonalingredientmap
tain methods of catching wild fish are bad for USDA Nationwide Farmer’s Market Info: Recommended Reading List:
the sea floor and kill other types of seafood. Fish http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/ “What to Eat” by Marion Nestle (North Point)
farming methods may include feeding antibiot- Online listings of SOLE food resources by Zip “Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Poli-
ics to the fish, which could pollute surround- code, including restaurants, co-ops, stores, CSAs, tics of Local Foods ” by Gary Paul Nabhan (W.W.
ing waters. and more: Norton & Co.)
More information on the ins and outs of sus- http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?pd=Home “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan
tainable seafood is offered by a nonprofit organi- Seafood Guide; what to buy, what to avoid: (Penguin)
zation, Green Chefs, Blue Ocean. It is available at http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/Seafood- “The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop
http://www.oceanfriendlychefs.org/. While this Watch/web/sfw_regional.aspx Spending and Love the Stove” by Cathy Erway
Web site is geared toward chefs, it is appropriate Facts about Grass-fed meat: (Gotham)
for all seafood lovers. http://www.eatwild.com/ “Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge of
Slow Food’s list of foods on the verge of going Where Food Comes From and Why We Need to
FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND HERBS extinct: Get It Back” by Ann Vileisis (Island Press)
Ideally, it’s great to buy vegetables from local http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/ “The End of Food ” by Paul Roberts (Houghton
farms, farmer’s markets or by joining a local details/ark_of_taste/ Mifflin)
Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA), which An Online Store for Organic and Heritage Seeds: “Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from Amer-
helps consumers support nearby farms with http://www.seedsavers.org/Content.aspx?src=buyonline. ica’s Farmers’ Markets” by Deborah Madison
freshly picked seasonal agriculture every week. htm (Broadway)
This option is not always practical, though. A national nonprofit dedicated to reintroducing “The Revolution Will not Be Microwaved” by San-
If you live in a cold climate, there are few veg- Americans to their food the seeds it grows from, dor Ellix Katz (Chelsea Green)
etables available in the winter other than root the farmers who produce it, and the routes that “Real Food: What to Eat and Why” by Nina Planck
vegetables and squash. I can’t go a whole win- carry it from the fields to our tables: (Bloomsbury)
ter without some of the winter vegetables com- http://www.foodroutes.org/ “Slow Food Nation: Why Our Food Should Be
mon in the Mediterranean climate of my roots. An award winning cartoon worth watching about Good, Clean, and Fair” by Carlo Petrini (Rizzoli
So, yes, I “cheat” and buy things like citrus fruit American factory meat farms: Ex Libris)
and leafy greens from California; I just try to buy
With This Bling, Many modern brides are planning premium bridal
showers and extensive registries, despite the falter-
ing economy.
WEDDING
Shimizu’s “I Do” wedding bands represent the
sound of the human voice in waveform.
BUSINESS
salary of $60,000 selling furniture, but now
he is broke and spends his days standing in lines.
Each morning he waits for a computer at the
hold briefcases and joke with one another, but in
unemployment office in Harlem, to update his re- whispers.
sume and look for jobs. In the evenings he stands
outside a midtown shelter, waiting for a place to
sleep, sometimes for hours.
Despite his tough knocks, Hicks, 48, believes
the unemployment system is the only way out of and asked for a job.” Martin Kohli, regional economist for the New
the shelter system. After responsibility for pay- The Workforce1 office, at 215 W. 125th St., is York Bureau of Labor Statistics, said city em-
ing benefits shifted upstate to Albany in 2005, on same block as the Apollo Theatre. Vendors sell ployees are losing their jobs less rapidly than in
the unemployment office on 125th Street was re- tubes of incense and takeout containers of Shea other sectors.
branded Workforce1, part of a 2003 cost-cutting butter, clay busts and Grecian statues, bootleg “I would think that during an election year,
initiative by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg that films and dog-eared movie scripts on the street the city isn’t likely to have massive layoffs,” Kohli
aligned the city’s training and small business below. The buttons in the building’s elevator light said, speaking before the November 2009 mayor-
services. The new entity is operated collectively up when they are pushed but the button for the al election in which Bloomberg was elected to a
by the city’s Department of Small Business Ser- sixth floor is burned out. third term. “The city did hire a number of people
vices, the New York State Department of Labor A sign displaying the Workforce1 logo sits over the summer with stimulus money.”
and the City University of New York. above a receptionist’s desk. A black velvet rope From August 2008 through August 2009,
“Workforce1 has given me hope,” Hicks said. stretches out in front; anyone waiting for an ap- 42,000 New York City jobs were added, with the
“Sometimes it feels like New York’s gotten the pointment must queue behind it. The waiting help of about $5 billion in federal stimulus funds.
best of me, but this helps me through. Because area is divided into two sets of chairs facing each But the unemployment rate has continued to
of them, I know there are opportunities and that other, both four rows deep. rise. That’s not unusual: New York unemploy-
I can take advantage of them.” There is little conversation, but whatever ment is traditionally above the national unem-
Each time Hicks goes to the Harlem office, words are spoken seem friendly. Young men in ployment rate.
which has around 25 full time employees and sport coats sit around with legs sprawled out,
may serve as many as 300 newly jobless people wearing baseball hats. The older women are OLDER WORKERS ALSO
each week, he hopes to find something substan- made up, with their hair done, while a few young TAKE LONGER TO GET BACK IN
tial in his field of expertise, furniture sales. But mothers and fathers are easily overwhelmed by Workers age 45 and over were out of work for
as the process stretched from weeks into months their children. Middle-aged men, wearing ties 22.2 weeks on average after a job loss, against
and months into years, lately he has been forced and eager smiles, hold briefcases and joke with 16.2 weeks for those under 45, according to the
to consider other options. one another, but in whispers. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“It’s a new thing, but I’m rethinking my skill Gary Burtless, the Whitehead Chair in Eco-
set, thinking of giving up the career I hoped to BRANDING WORKSHOPS nomic Studies at the Brookings Institution, said
stick with the rest of my life,” said Hicks, who For those like Hicks, who may have worked for New York State “is hurting as bad as I expected.”
is divorced, and lost his sales job two years ago. a decade or more in the same job, revamping and Burtless said the culprit behind both the
“But it’s a new environment out there. I might circulating a new resume can be overwhelming. state’s woes as well as the nation’s economic
have to make some drastic changes; I’m talking But they must do it. decline is the concentration of the financial sec-
culinary arts or accounting, but I feel like I can “You can’t just walk into a company with a tor in New York City, which translates to plunging
do either.” resume and a smile and expect to get an inter- property values and wages all over. Nationally,
Many other unemployed people are open to ca- view,” Sullivan said. “It’s all automated now. lower wages and high unemployment are symp-
reer changes. Workforce1 is the city’s solution to So we have to work on interviewing skills, re- toms of New York’s illness, he argued.
the problem of changing labor demands. sume writing and, believe it or not, branding “What was destroyed was the value of stocks
At 10.3 percent, unemployment in New York workshops.” and corporate bonds,” Burtless said. “What was
City is higher than the statewide average of 8.9 The transition can be daunting. Cynthia Ed- destroyed was the net worth of houses ⎯ they
percent, and the national average of 9.8 per- wards, 52, a former home care specialist for the disappeared like water on a hot August sidewalk.”
cent. Of the 860,000 or so residents of New York city, stops by the Workforce1 office a few times At 9 p.m., Hicks arrives back at the midtown
City who are jobless, unemployment is running every week, hoping that each job listing means men’s shelter, and waits three hours for a cot and
higher among the young, while those age 50 and a new chance. Fired after 20 years of service, just a bowl of cereal. When he first entered the shel-
older, and those with long tenure in specific in- one year before she would be eligible to receive ter system in October 2009, he gave his mother
dustries, have a more difficult time finding work her full benefits, Edwards is in a tough situation: all his remaining possessions. He keeps a little
after a layoff. Compounded by the fact they are she needs a city job in order to claim her full ben- money in his underwear for emergencies or a can
likely to be out of work longer, the outlook is grim efits when she retires. She must secure a new city of beer, and the money is always the last thing he
for older city dwellers thrown from the occupa- job before June 28, 2010. But from what she sees, thinks about before catching a fitful few hours
tional train, labor reps pointed out. the city isn’t hiring. of sleep. Those same folded bills are his first con-
Judy Sullivan, a supervising labor services rep- “I feel a bit lost,” Edwards said. “I had a rou- cern in the morning. The men around him are
resentative who has worked for the Department tine for 20 years, and they took it away right not gentle people.
of Labor for more than 24 years, believes Work- before I could collect on my benefits. I’ve been After he wakes, showers and breakfasts, Hicks
force1’s approach is working. going to workshops and programs to get up to checks his underwear and sheepishly asks the
“The market has changed,” Sullivan said. “At speed, but I need a city job, and when they’re staff for carfare to head 95 blocks uptown to the
Workforce1, we focus on longer-term needs, like not hiring, what can I do?” Harlem office.
upgrading their skill sets. We want to get the Edwards’ situation is particularly difficult, “This is something I’ve got to do. Each and
older generation prepared for a working and in- since public sector jobs might be one of the few every day until something better comes around,”
terviewing environment that may have totally beacons of hope in an otherwise gloomy employ- Hicks said. “That’s all I’m looking for, a chance
changed since they last shook someone’s hand ment forecast. at something better.”
Professional
that millennials are more likely to wear what
is actually considered very casual (jeans, tee-
shirts) as opposed to the more traditional casual
of khakis and button down shirts,” Levit wrote
The generational clash over corporate dress in an e-mail.
But she advised young employees against
By Amanda Kersey wearing mohawks to work.
“Look at how everyone else is dressed, and
Thinning
Bukucuyan understands why Kimberley
wouldn’t want to join the business, especially
during a recession when wages are unsteady and
there are no pensions or health benefits. “It’s not
Cartier,” he says. “Small mom and pops can’t af-
By Alexandra Waldhorn ford that.”
Like Bukucuyan, most Armenian jewelers
By Cilia Kohn
‘Slumdog’ dance is
ing out the rough equivalent of “Whoo!” in the
Punjabi language. Nearly forty women and one
man thrusted and stomped and jabbed the air in
Right now everything related to India is on the top Bhangra music and dance originate in Pun-
jab, a diverse state in the northwest of India,
because of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ below Kashmir, that was divided between India
and Pakistan when the two countries were par-
titioned. Farmers there once celebrated harvests
by dancing in the fields to the syncopated beats
of a dhol drum and the repetitive plucking of the
traditional Indian dance common in Bollywood just makes you want to move.” tumbi, a stringed instrument.
films. Bhangra classes are popping up across the “For me, it’s the music,” says Carine Desir, The distinctive sound has seeped into Ameri-
U.S., where “Slumdog,” which won eight Acad- who upgraded her Crunch gym membership so can popular music, especially hip-hop. Rapper
emy Awards, including Best Picture of 2008, has she could take Masala Bhangra. “You’re feeling Missy Elliott sampled bhangra beats in her song
grossed over $125 million. the drums. You let it lead you. After my first class, “Get Ur Freak On,” as did Jay-Z in “Beware of the
Jain, who teaches Masala Bhangra—“spicy I said, oh my God, that was awesome.” Boys.” Jay-Z recorded a remix of the song with
bhangra” —at several gyms in Manhattan, says The trend is spreading to some unlikely cor- Indian musician Punjabi MC.
some of her class sizes have doubled since the ners. At Springstep, a dance and music studio in “I have been so emotional—in a good way—
movie was released. Medford, Mass.s, the bhangra class filled past and proud and amazed by how this movie has
“When people see that scene in the movie,” capacity for the first time this year, according to rejuvenated the appreciation for Indian culture,”
Jain says, “they’re like, ‘Honey, that’s what we programs manager Allie Fiske. Sarina Jain says.
do in class! That’s what we do every Tuesday!’” “Right now everything related to India is on Renu Kansal, an Indian-American dance in-
“You burn over 500 calories” in a 45-minute the top because of ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’” says structor in Denver, wasn’t sure if this apprecia-
session, she adds. Mary Pirela, a fitness instructor in Minneapolis. tion had gone mainstream when she added three
Jain, who is Indian-American, decided 10 Pirela has arranged for Jain, who has certified new bhangra classes to her roster last October.
years ago to combine fitness instruction with her Masala Bhangra instructors from Maplewood, Colorado, she says, is “not exactly the teeming
native culture by creating the Masala Bhangra Minn., to Elk Grove, Calif., to fly in to give a mas- hotbed of the Indian community.” But one class
workout. She’s since trademarked the term and ter class in April and certify local instructors. filled up so quickly she had to find a larger stu-
had her routine certified by the Aerobics and Fit- Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist with the dio space. Kansal plans to start bhangra classes
ness Association of America. The “Jane Fonda of American Council on Exercise, says bhangra’s for children.
India,” as Jain is known to some, has her own different jumps and side-to-side movements “People get the hang of the steps really eas-
line of exercise videos and has appeared on Fit TV. make it an effective and relatively low-impact ily,” Kansal says. “You feel very quickly on that
“The only reason I joined the gym was for form of training. He likens the cardiovascular you’re good at it.” There’s no baseline fitness
this class,” says Kristin Carey, who credits the benefits to running on a treadmill at a moderate level required for bhangra, something she thinks
bhangra classes at Crunch with everything from pace, with a lower risk of repetitive strain inju- will contribute to its appeal and staying power.
greater stamina on the dance floor to newly glow- ries. “It’s a great way to train the entire body at “I mean, gigantic, hairy Punjabi men do it,”
ing skin. “I never worked out until now, but this one time,” he says. she says. “So basically, anyone can.”
HEALTH
and telling the same God-awful story and having
Athletes
Hewitt, meanwhile, maintains a diet rich in
protein and carbohydrates, trying to stay in con-
sistently strong health.
Bob Struble, 59, started running when he was
26, settling into a regular routine by the time he
By Rachel Stern was 39. The Pittsburg resident runs six days a
week beginning at 4 a.m., and completes mara-
thon-length runs every weekend. He prefers trails,
Don Fallis running Badwater in 2007. as they are easier on his knees than concrete.
His race number was his age. When it comes to the race, Struble makes sure
to pace himself. In 100-milers, he walks uphill,
Photo courtesy of Don Fallis for example, rather than trying to sprint it as he
notices younger runners doing. Instead of taking
a nap, Struble likes to keep blazing a trail through
ultramarathoner who has direct- the night — replete with headlights and caffein-
ed the 70.5-mile Laurel Highlands ated beverages that he carries in a pack.
Ultra race in Pennsylvania for the “At my age, I don’t think I’m going to win the
past 10 years. He’s seen an increase race,” said Struble, who competes in the Laurel
in older runners, particularly in the Highlands Ultra every year.
100 mile-plus races, over the past Still, all that running isn’t easy, particularly
couple of years. on an older body.
The runners “have been in good Struble, for instance, will often wake up with
shape, and running for a long time,” pain saturating his feet and arms. He finds he
he said. “The young guys still like doesn’t recover as quickly as he did when he was
speed races, and setting personal younger. For him, the best cure is just running
bests.” again. Once on the road, the pain slowly allevi-
There are about 200 official ul- ates on its own.
tramarathon races in North Ameri- Kevin Shelton-Smith, 49, an ultra-runner from
ca each year, such as the Grasslands New York City, nearly fainted when he arrived at
50 Miles Trail Run in Texas and the mile 95 of the 145-mile Grand Union Canal Race
350-mile Iditatrod Trail Invitational in England last May, falling into a boat beneath
Ultra Race that Hewitt finished in the towpath where he was running.
seven days, 14 hours and 40 min- “I just lost all balance and I could see myself
utes. A couple of years ago, organiz- going but couldn’t do anything about it,” said
ers such as Freeman were scrambling Shelton-Smith, who persevered to the finish line
for participants. Yet now the ultras after resting for five minutes.
— which usually charge entry fees For many ultra-runners, the thought of get-
HEALTH
Photo by Kate Balch
in Your Medicine
we look at the different avenues that prescrip-
tion drugs get in the hands of young people,
the medicine cabinet is the main avenue,” says
Cabinet
Kerlikowske. Recently, Kerlikowske, who is also
known as the drug czar, listened to a group of
seventh-grade girls talk about their “pharm
party” – a get-together where everyone brings
prescription drugs from their parents’ medicine
By Kate Balch cabinets. Since overdose deaths have exceeded
those from gunshots, Kerlikowske says, the main
Baby Beauty
ty services to four-year-old girls, raises the ghost
of JonBénet Ramsey. The proprietors claim they
offer fun, and harmless spaces where girls can
experience the adult world of the beauty parlor.
How the beauty industry sells to kids But critics say they prematurely ritualize beauty
regimes and induct girls into lifetime careers of
insecurity about their appearances.
By Alexa Tsoulis-Reay Dimples Kids Spa, in the affluent New York
neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights, offers make-
up, manicures, pedicures and novelty facials,
Michelle Plair (foreground) pampers her tiny in addition to haircuts. The salon is white and
clients at Wonderland Kids Spa in Brooklyn. bright, decorated with toys ranging from Barbies
with wild hair to a large stuffed elephant that
Photo by Alexa Tsoulis-Reay dwarfs many of Dimples’ customers.
FAMILY
kid.
“Daddy doesn’t like Dutch girl bangs, and
daddy doesn’t think we should be getting hair- “faux hawk,” or ask for the “Wall Street” a severely
short haircut.
cuts, so something natural is best,” the mother
instructed stylist Latoya Jackson, who snipped a
few strands from the girl’s bangs.
Some parents visit Dimples because they can’t
cope with their children’s tantrums, the stylists
said. But during birthday parties, the energy and BABES IN WONDERLAND Both Dimples and Wonderland are popu-
excitement among the girls is infectious: The ste- Michelle Plair, 38, likewise thinks there’s lar party venues. One recent afternoon, the six
reo blasts tween anthems and partying kids are nothing wrong with serving this niche. Notic- guests of Tiffany, 10, were treated to manicures,
treated to facials, manicures and pedicures while ing few kids’ spas in New York City, she teamed pedicures and facials. One girl with beautifully
they feast on fistfuls of candy. up with her goddaughter, Daniela Richardson, braided hair chomped on marshmallows while
“I love all the giggling and girl-talk,” Jack- 25, and the two opened Wonderland Kids Spa soaking her feet in a footbath. Plair lovingly mas-
son said. in Cobble Hill, to offer manicures, pedicures and saged her legs and toes. The girls received flip-
facials for children aged three and up. Plair, who flops, plush pink robes and headband shaped like
grew up in foster homes, said Wonderland ex- princess crowns.
DEAD SERIOUS presses her love for children. Tiffany’s interest in hair and nails prompted
Make no mistake: there’s big business be- Their spa, with its fluorescent pink and green the idea for a spa party, according to her aunt,
hind the pampering and play. In October 2009, walls, looks like it was decorated by a munchkin Marie Desforges, who said: “She’s a little girl, so
over 250 excited tween girls converged at a hotel on a sugar high. Popcorn and cotton candy ma- of course she likes that stuff.”
complex in Washington D.C. They were told chines pump out fairground treats. One salon
they would meet some of their favorite celeb-
rities, grab a stash of free beauty products and, GOING FOR THE TODDLER MARKET
most importantly, have the opportunity to voice But some salon clients are boys, brought in
their feelings and experiences of being a tween by mothers who want to emulate Maddox Jolie
girl. Girls were allowed to write on the “White Pitt’s “faux hawk,” or ask for the “Wall Street” a
House Wall” (a message board where they could severely short haircut. One Saturday morning at
air their thoughts about what matters to them), Dimples, the mother of a four-year-old instructed
and participate in “body image” workshops. Jackson not to ruin her son’s sideburns, which
This was the inaugural AllyKatzz Tween Girl she called his “little something-something.”
Summit, an event designed to gather information The distinctly feminine 21st century identity
about the tween market for a report to be sold to category, the tween, was developed in an adver-
marketing firms and brands across America. Al- tising boardroom. Since the late 1990s, a girly
lyKatzz has clients with vested interests in this lifestyle that involves coloring one’s hair and sit-
age group, like Disney and Dove. Tweenage at- ting in hot tubs has been translated to toys for
tendees enjoyed the girl-themed festivities, while very young girls. Mattel and MGA both offer sa-
a team of marketing professionals observed their lon-themed dolls, and MGA’s Moxie has a magic
every move. makeover hair salon, with tools for makeup and
The event promised girls that their voices hairstyling.
would be heard. But their thoughts and opin- Sandra May, a mother of two who owns Get
ions were to be released only to organizations Spa’ed Girl! has been hosting mobile girls’ spa
that paid $12,500 each for the subsequent re- parties across New Jersey and New York City for
port. the last five years. She says her clients are get-
Denise Restauri, head of AK Tweens, the mar- ting younger: she recently hosted a party for 20
ket research firm that organized the event, is four year olds in Manhattan. The spa party, which
surprisingly critical of the practice of marketing initially attracted upper-end clients, has become
beauty products to girls as empowerment. a mainstream concept, May said, perhaps driv-
“It’s as shallow as the days are long,” she said. chair features butterfly wings, while the other en by mothers seeking novel ways to entertain
“Makeup for children? No. And with the whole sports a large furry teddy bear head. their kids.
manicure and pedicure thing, we are raising a It’s an escape for local kids, Plair maintained. “I used to think that kids are too young to get
generation of divas…. What we are seeing now is Amanda, a tall 13-year-old with curly black hair, their nails done…I never do my two-year-old’s
that girls are getting their hair dyed at a young- has been a loyal client since the salon opened in nails or toes,” Plair said. “But my three-year-old
er age. Now you are seeing girls with highlights August 2009. “Amanda, you’re slimming down!” loves it. Not all the time, just for special occa-
when they are eleven years old.” Plair said warmly, as she covered her client in sions. The same with our customers, they come
AK Tweens’ research indicates that girls don’t purple plastic cape decorated with miniature gui- in for special occasions.”
want to use makeup or beauty products, she said. tars. Prior to Wonderland, Amanda went to an Party girl Tiffany was certainly making the
But they live in a culture that tells them that they adult salon to have her tresses tamed. She says most of her birthday treat. She proudly displayed
need improvement: she doesn’t think kids spas she is pleased to have found a place where she her glossy manicured fingers.
should be dismissed. “If you get all the girls to- feels comfortable. “It’s so pretty,” cooed her Aunt Marie. Tiffany
gether and [they] say, ‘oh lets go get our hair “Kids like it here, because it is something dif- returned to the nail dryer. She chatted with her
cut and we will go to a place that is really cute ferent and it is something fun which is just for friends, who had started to help themselves to
and pretty,’ then it is kind of like going to have them,” said Plair, maintaining that her clients chocolate fondue, as they excitedly awaited the
tea in a way.” weren’t wealthy or spoiled. next step in their beauty regime.
Eco Kids
Le Petit Paradis incorporates the idea of en- ed the preschool, it only seemed natural that they
vironmental education—a movement grow- would apply their green philosophy to the school.
ing across the United States—into many of its Those are values Houri of Le Petit Paradis
daily activities. The school’s 25 students are a shares even though the eco-friendly aspect of the
Green preschools on the rise small group compared with the thousands of school is not the chief concern of all parents—
students who attend 127 certified-green schools a fact she said suggests that going green may
in 33 states, according to the U.S. Green Build- be part of the wider, unspoken appeal of these
ing Council. kinds of schools.
By Brenda Iasevoli In 2007, the council, just one organization that Being eco-friendly is as natural as speaking
certifies buildings as eco-friendly, launched the French for the children at Le Petit Paradis, said
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Houri. So natural, that some parents may take
FAMILY
Foodie parents
wrote, “she nailed three of the beauties plus half
a portion of calamari a la Romana. Daughters
and expensive (if good) taste—I guess they go
attempt to raise
hand-in-hand.”
But for some parents, getting kids to eat any
food, never mind a beady-eyed crustacean, is no
foodie kids
easy feat. Garvy and Yeomans know this; that’s
why they started Gastrokid.com, which includes
recipes and tips for the frustrated foodie parent.
There’s also a “Gastrokid” cookbook due out in
By Brenda Iasevoli August.
Don’t expect sneaky recipes that hide veggies
By Amanda Chan
Bonjour Lauren!
isfy modern, commercial needs,” she said. “It is
not Bohemian any more.”
Some independent shops still thrive, especially
those selling hand-crafted, vintage or imported
Upscale fashion retailers trail “Sex and the City” to merchandise. Lori McLean, whose jewelry shop
is located on nearby Grove Street, finds that her
an iconic New York street delicate charm necklaces and funky bracelets are
By Christos Gavalas still desirable for heavy wallets, bridging the old-
hippie face of the neighborhood with its wealthy
Showtime NetworkS
symphonyspacelive .org